When You're Sick
by Nytel
Summary: John notices that Teyla is sick and he is determined to take care of her.


**A/N: I wrote this for my friend Camy as a get well soon present. I hope you enjoy. :)**

**When You're Sick**

"Teyla!" John called out as he rounded the corner and saw her. "Wait up."

He hurried down the Atlantis hallway until he was beside her. Then he noticed that she looked a little pale.

"Hey," he said, suddenly very concerned. "Are you ok?"

She opened her mouth to answer but ended up coughing instead. John placed a steadying hand on her shoulder as her entire body shook from the force.

As soon as the coughing subsided she said, "I am fine." It didn't take a genius to figure out that she was sick. Her voice was gravelly and he could tell by the way she was talking that her throat was sore.

"No, you're not," he said firmly.

She glared at him… well, more like attempted to glare at him. "I am fine," she repeated.

He smiled at her stubbornness. Then he gently placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her around so that she was facing the way he had just come from. "Bed," he said firmly.

She pulled out of his reach just to be hit by another coughing fit. This one was worse and sent her doubling over.

John couldn't help but feel worried despite the fact he knew that it was probably just the flu. He placed his hands on her shoulders again and began to guide her down the hallway towards her room. She only resisted for the first few steps.

He pulled his hands away and they walked in silence. Every once and a while he would glance over at Teyla. She was becoming increasingly pale and the thought made him feel slightly uneasy. Just as he was about to ask if she wanted to go to the infirmary instead, she stopped.

He was taken by surprise when she collapsed on the ground.

John called out her name as he dropped to his knees beside her. "Shit," he swore as he realized that she had fainted. Immediately he contacted Beckett over the radio and told him that he was bringing her down to the infirmary.

He gathered her up in his arms and headed off as quickly as he could manage. Carson was waiting for him when he got there.

"Put her on the bed," he said, indicating a nearby empty cot.

John gently lowered her down and reluctantly stepped back from the side of the bed. He hovered nearby as Carson did his thing, checking her blood pressure and temperature.

It really didn't take that long. "So?" John asked anxiously.

Carson looked at him. "She'll be fine. She just needs a few days of bed rest."

"Good," John said trying to sound nonchalant.

"Don't worry Colonel," Beckett said. "It's only the flu." He looked as if he was going to continue, but just then Teyla started to come to.

John stepped closer to the bed and he heard Carson ask, "How are you feeling love?"

She groaned and John instinctively reached out to put his hand on her shoulder, but pulled back at the last second when he saw the odd look that Beckett was giving him. So instead he said, "Welcome back."

Teyla opened her eyes and turned to look at him. He was surprised when he noticed a faint blush on her cheeks.

"Sorry," she said quietly, so quietly in fact that he barely heard her.

"For what?" he asked.

She closed her eyes for a brief moment before opening them again and taking a deep breath. "For fainting."

"Ah," John said. "Don't worry about it." He noticed that she still seemed embarrassed. "Besides," he added. "You didn't faint anyways. You passed out from manly hunger."

When she only gave him a half-hearted grin, he knew that she really wasn't feeling well.

"Well Teyla," Carson said. "You can head back to your quarters if you like, so long as you promise to remain in bed for at least the rest of the day. If you take one of these every four hours," he said handing her a bottle of pills. "Then you really have no need to be here."

She nodded her head and sat up, her hands clutching onto the sheets tightly. He was fairly certain that Beckett hadn't noticed, or else he would have been telling her to lie back down. John would have said the same thing except Teyla was glaring at him in warning. He knew that she hated appearing 'weak' for even the briefest of moments, but this was a bit much. She was sick for god sakes. But at the same time he couldn't help but admire her stubbornness.

She wobbled slightly when she stood up, but other than that she appeared fine. Clutching the bottle of pills tightly in her left hand she walked out of the infirmary.

"Colonel…" Dr. Beckett said, indicating the exit to the infirmary.

He nodded and headed out after Teyla. It didn't take him long to catch up with her; she was walking very slowly. When she looked over her shoulder and saw him she started walking a bit faster as if trying to pretend that nothing was wrong.

Falling in step beside her John remained silent. He walked beside her for a few minutes before she even said anything.

"I am fine Colonel."

He just shrugged his shoulders and kept on walking.

"I do not need an escort back to my quarters." She was trying to sound authoritative but it really wasn't working.

"What?" he asked in a semi joking voice. "I can't just walk with you."

She smiled and he knew that she wasn't buying it, but she still said, "Fine."

When she stopped suddenly and leaned against the wall John was immediately worried.

"Teyla?"

Here eyes were closed and she was taking deep shaky breaths. When she didn't answer he repeated her name. When she still didn't answer he stepped closer and wrapped one of his arms around her shoulders, afraid that she was going to faint again.

"I am just a little dizzy," she said as she shifted her weight so that she was now leaning on him. Her eyes were still closed.

He wrapped his arm more securely around her and for the first time noticed that she was radiating off a lot of heat. Sincerely glad that she wasn't well enough to kick his ass, he scooped her up into his arms.

Immediately her eyes opened and she began to struggle.

"Teyla," he said calmly. "You're obviously not going to make it back to your quarters on your own."

"Yes I will," she said in a voice that was almost strong enough to convince him.

"Stop fighting me," he said as he began walking down the hallway. "I'll win this one."

She groaned in defeat and rested her head against his shoulder. He couldn't help but feel a surge of protectiveness.

"It's only because I am sick."

He nodded his head in agreement. "I know. If you weren't I'd probably be picking my sorry ass off of the floor right now."

She nodded her head against his shoulder, but that only incited more coughing. He paused until it stopped.

"John would you please not…"

"Tell anyone?" he asked. "I won't. Your secret is safe with me."

"Thank you," she said quietly.

It didn't take them much longer to reach her quarters. John could have put Teyla down at the entrance, but he opted not to and took her directly to her bed before setting her down.

He pulled back the covers and she climbed under them before tugging them so that they were all the way up to her chin. At his questioning look she said, "I'm cold."

He smiled. "Actually, you're quite warm." He would have said hot, but well… he'd leave that for another day.

Just then John noticed that she was still clutching the bottle of pills in her hand. He quickly went and filled a glass with water from the small bathroom. Bringing it back he handed it to her with one hand, while he took the bottle from her with the other. Untwisting the top he got out one pill and placed it in her outstretched hand.

She swallowed it before she sank back into the pillows and closed her eyes. John took the glass of water from her and set it on the small table beside the bed. He wasn't sure if the pills were supposed to make her drowsy but in only a few minutes she was breathing deeply and he suspected that she was asleep.

He figured that he really should leave but … John brushed a few stray pieces of hair away from her face, letting his hand linger for just a second too long. She was so beautiful, even when she was sick, and he couldn't help but smile at her.

Giving into impulse he leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head. "Get well soon Teyla."

As he slipped out the door, he couldn't be sure, but he thought he might have heard her mutter a quiet 'thank you'.

The End


End file.
